UPDATE ON VACCINES:

One of the most remarkable advances in...

February 15, 2000

UPDATE ON VACCINES: One of the most remarkable advances in modern medicine has been the use of vaccines to stop viral infections and epidemics. And one of the most dramatic stories is the conquering of polio in North America. But one type of polio vaccine--the oral vaccine--does cause about 10 cases of polio each year.

AS A CONSEQUENCE: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended against using the oral vaccine any more. Instead, only the injectable, Salk vaccine should be used. The risk of getting polio is small unless one travels to other countries where it is not yet controlled, but all children should be vaccinated to ensure that polio is kept in check.